What awd vehicle for 5+ people?

[comish]

^^^ yeah, I kinda agree with ya on the tightness of the 3rd row seats in wagons.
Seems like its marginally better in the Minivans or SUV's (MDX, Q7, Pilot) than in say the V70 Volvo and we would put Mini Comish back there for the 300miles to Mammoth so that is a real concern.

Going test driving this weekend...

[Aldo]

It's amazing how many people tell me they want an SUV due to the fact that they can sit up high. Have you driven the new A$ avant yet Buster?

[Mustonen]

^^^ Rented an Equinox for a work trip. I thought it was a gutless, rolly shitbox. My coworkers, who all drive big SUVs, couldn't get over how peppy it was, and kept bitching about feeling like they were sitting on the road. We saw one of those Smart cars and it blew their mind.

I'm a few years from shelling out for a 328xi or similar - bummed to hear they may be endangered.

[mr_gyptian]

Ford Flex EcoBoost.

thank me later,

mr_g

[liv2ski]

More bad news for those who love wagons, Volvo is killing the V70 in North America.

http://jalopnik.com/5501966/exclusiv...gons-v8-sedans

My new (to me) V70R will hold me over for a while.

Damn Wren, that is really bad news. Now I know I will never sell my V70R, especially since importing an Audi RS6 Avant appears to be really tough. http://www.foreignborn.com/visas_imm...ingyourcar.htm

Ford Flex EcoBoost.

thank me later,

mr_g

Last summer while touring BC, we had a Ford Fusion sedan, which to me is a North American A4. Ya, I know, it doesn't have an MT, but with the new 3.5L engine, I bet it could be tuned, with suspension upgrades, to be a fun car, that I would consider, if it only came as a wagon.
http://www.fordvehicles.com/cars/fus...ations/engine/

[mr_gyptian]

The EcoBoost engine is a twin turbo, direct injection 3.5 V6. The Flex and the new Taurus SHO have paddle shift capability.

[wren]

Damn Wren, that is really bad news. Now I know I will never sell my V70R, especially since importing an Audi RS6 Avant appears to be really tough. http://www.foreignborn.com/visas_imm...ingyourcar.htm

Maybe not so tough after all....

http://www.worldcarfans.com/11002092...-north-america

Bring money.

[plugboots]

As to MTM:

With regards to our project of bringing European models to Canada, we have to admit that we did not succeed.

SUVs, fat cars for fat people.

[detrusor]

I own an 04 Sienna XLE AWD minivan, hate to admit my testes are on the shelf but it is an unbelievable auto. We have lived in Portland OR and now SLC...the AWD is great, it handles really well when loose and we get average 23 MPG driving up and down Parleys all week and to LLC on the weekends. Extended road trip w bikes on top gets 28-29mpg. Pretty decent power as stated earlier. Leather cleans up well, full size inflatable mattress in back, DVD player with nice sound system. Really not sure why people even look at the other options...we did, had the means to buy anything out there and choose the AWD Sienna XLE (Limited not worth the dough).

[hop]

damn that's a huge increase in mpg compared to the ~17/22 that gets thrown around for the AWD sienna in CR and other reviews.

[mr_gyptian]

I own an 04 Sienna XLE AWD minivan, hate to admit my testes are on the shelf but it is an unbelievable auto. We have lived in Portland OR and now SLC...the AWD is great, it handles really well when loose and we get average 23 MPG driving up and down Parleys all week and to LLC on the weekends. Extended road trip w bikes on top gets 28-29mpg. Pretty decent power as stated earlier. Leather cleans up well, full size inflatable mattress in back, DVD player with nice sound system. Really not sure why people even look at the other options...we did, had the means to buy anything out there and choose the AWD Sienna XLE (Limited not worth the dough).

[COUGH] bullshit [cough]

[PNWbrit]

Ford Flex EcoBoost.

thank me later,

mr_g

With all that plastic chrome, faux aluminium and the creases down the doors...

... it's probably a bit too Rontele for most.

Does sound like a great motor in it though.

[mr_gyptian]

tech talk, dude.

form<function.

-JR

[comish]

You have 12 hours to talk me out of a used Audi Q7. Its a pretty dang good deal, (well below blue book trade-in value and its the cheapest Q7 w/in 500 miles of me while being the 4.2 so it has balls, it should be $5k more than the 3.6's out there but these guys want it gone), still under factory warranty for another year, I get a significant tax break, and the Mrs. really dug driving it. I gotta say it did drive better than I expected...

I thought the MDX was also very nice, but no tax break makes it prolly +$5k more than the Q7.

Thoughts?

[plugboots]

WTF, sounds like a pretty good option then.

[bodywhomper]

i don't know specifically about the seat arrangement for the Q7, but know that with at least some 3-row SUV's you need to crawl over the middle row (w/ one of the seats collapsed) to access the 3rd row. this seems like a pain in the ass to get to the preschooler. also, can that task be accomplished with 2 newborn or infant car seats in the middle row? other than that, the q7 looks/sounds nice

[Buster Highmen]

Thoughts?

Quitter.

I'll soon be sucked down a similar drain with the rest of the American autoeffluvia...

[mr_gyptian]

You have 12 hours to talk me out of a used Audi Q7. Its a pretty dang good deal, (well below blue book trade-in value and its the cheapest Q7 w/in 500 miles of me while being the 4.2 so it has balls, it should be $5k more than the 3.6's out there but these guys want it gone), still under factory warranty for another year, I get a significant tax break, and the Mrs. really dug driving it. I gotta say it did drive better than I expected...

I thought the MDX was also very nice, but no tax break makes it prolly +$5k more than the Q7.

Thoughts?

The tax break on a used one is significantly different than a new, fwiw.

Also, I've driven these in some nasty weather and was not impressed at all. I've never had good snows on the q7's in bad weather but the quattro seems to over compensate? The quattro system in the q7 acts unlike any other quattro I've ever driven.

[mcski]

What is this alleged tax break you speak of???

ps - xc90?

[natty dread]

Ford Flex EcoBoost.

thank me later,

mr_g

I test drove one for a half hour today, in the pouring rain, and all I can say is: Wow! I was kinda blown away.
The thing seems to have a quality interior, excellent safety ratings, many cool/useful features, superb/quiet ride/handling/driving dynamics and that drivetrain is very impressive.
And that automatic parallel parking feature is cool I must say.
I'm not in the market for a new rig for a year or two, and I haven't considered an american car for 2 decades, but this will definitely be on the short list.

[keipow]

I generally prefer German cars. You did not list the year of the Q7. The earlier Q7s had significant maintenance issues. Note also that these cars are basically the VW Touareg, which also suffered from early maintenance issues.

Also, at that price point, your wife and you should both test drive the Cayenne and the X5.

[wren]

It's been a lot longer than 12 hours now, did you pull the trigger Comish? If so, hopefully things are working out for you. A friend has the Q7 4.2 and really likes it (came from an older X5 4.4i) but I haven't heard many super negative or positive things either way from anyone else.

[plugboots]

Friends here just had their Q7 T-boned by a truck it was totalled. All the airbags went off and everyone walked away without a scratch. They replaced it with a 335xi coupe.

[comish]

Greetings from Germany. Been too busy sitting in bier gartens drinking hefeweissen and eating bratwurst to check in with you knuckleheads

Bought the Q7 4.2 and flew out to visit family/go to a wedding in Italy 4 hours later. Hopefully it holds up. Knew about the Tourag/Cayenne family relationship. One major difference, no 3rd row seat in the other two and the Q7 has a longer wheelbase to make that happen. That was a must have with my rather rapidly enlarging family... Hopefullz the thing runs...

I have heard from another friend that the Q7 is a majorly buff/safe vehicle. Glad to hear your friends were ok. scary stuff.

Dont think the tax break matters if new or used, just if its new to you. Cant remember the rule number, but search suv tax credit and you will come up with it. Basically if you have your own business, you are in business re: tax break.

Yep, you can fold the 2nd row forward to reach the 3rd row with the base of the infant seat in the 2nd row. There will be a bit of gymnastics involved, but Mrs. Comish was sold she can do it and didnt want anything to do with the minivan.

[mcski]

Cant remember the rule number, but search suv tax credit and you will come up with it. Basically if you have your own business, you are in business re: tax break.

Sounds like that crazy SUV rule that started a few years ago. I didn't think it was still around. Basically, any vehicle over 5K Lbs qualifies. I think salesguys in employ of corps can use it too, but not 100% sure on that. Really bad policy imo, but congrats on snagging the break. Happy autobahning. Better make your next exit an appt to get snipped!